Blueberry-Lemon Mini Cakes for my Little Boy Blue

Baby showers are so much fun!  The anticipation of welcoming a grandson has been wonderful too. The last of the baby showers was yesterday...the one that was most special to me because it was given by my daughter for her sister and celebrated together with wonderful friends and family.


I helped my daughter by preparing favors for the shower. We decided that mini loaves of blueberry bread with the theme of Little Boy Blue would be a cute idea.




After trying several different blueberry bread and cake recipes, I came up with this recipe that produced the taste and texture I liked the best. These mini cakes are wonderful for breakfast or brunch!

 
Blueberry-Lemon Mini Cakes with Lemon Glaze
Printable Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons lemon peel, grated
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries (can use frozen, if necessary)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray mini loaf pans with vegetable spray, then dust with flour. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Place softened butter, sugar, salt and lemon peel and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. (I know most recipes call for adding the eggs after crearming the butter and sugar but I had a better texture creaming the eggs with the sugar and butter). Add flour mixture and mix until blended and then add sour cream and mix again. With mixer on slow speed, slowly add the milk. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in blueberries and pour into prepared pans up to 3/4 full*. I dot the top with a few extra berries.

*I found I had enough batter for one or two extra ramekins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until tops are lightly browned and knife comes out clean. Cool the loaves for about 15 minutes in the pans and then remove to a cooling rack set over a large jelly roll pan. Prick the cakes all over with a small sharp knife and drizzle with the lemon glaze. Cool completely and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze.

While the mini loaves are baking, make the lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze:

3/4 cup sugar
Fresh lemon juice of two whole lemons (about 1/2 cup)


In small saucepan combine the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat just the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Keep the glaze warm until cakes are ready to be drizzled. Glaze can be reheated, if necessary. 

Vanilla Cupcakes ~ Baby Cakes

Today I decided to make cupcakes for a very special person who is on the way. Our little 'Babycake' or 'Cupcake' is due to arrive in the middle of September and I will be a grandmother for the very first time! Congratulations to our daughter and son-in-law! We love you!





What are little babies made of, made of?
What are little babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That's what little babies are made of.

What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That's what little girls are made of.

~Traditional Nursery Rhyme

Will it be a girl...


-or a boy?


It doesn't really matter - happy and healthy is all that's important ;) Update:  I was a Boy :)

By the way, these cupcakes were very tasty and I will certainly make them again. I loved the addition of the lemon zest.

Vanilla Cupcakes
Printable Recipe
from Joy of Baking

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon (optional)
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

If you want a thick frosting, it might be wise to double this recipe.

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Assorted food colors (if desired)

In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color.

Did you know that the name "cupcake" was used differently back in the 1800s. Then the name "cup cake" simply referred to a cake where the ingredients were 'measured' not 'weighed'. It seems that before the 1880s ingredients for cake baking were actually weighed so when recipes started to be given in 'cup' measurements, the cake recipes were named 'cup cakes' to reflect this difference. Greg Patent also tells us in his book 'Baking in America' that a woman named Mrs. Rorer (in 1902) was the first to actually print a recipe for the cupcakes (with frosting) we all enjoy today.

Click to see a Baby Cake being made on You Tube